Game Thread Spurs (39-16) vs Kings (12-45) (Sat 02/21/26) [7:00 PM CST]

[scott]

I agree to some extent....I think overall win loss record will matter and it will swing the votes.

Assuming Jokic, SGA, Cade, Wemby all met the 65 games requirement.

Argument for Jokic not getting MVP = Voter fatigue....he already has 3 MVPs. And being a 3rd seed or worst (assuming at season end), I don't think will help his case despite his insane number. Last year he also had 1 of the insane stats in history but still lose to SGA (OKC running away with 68 wins).

Argument for SGA not getting MVP = It would depend if OKC maintain their 1st seed. I am not sure if the voters will give SGA back-to-back MVPs if OKC record regress (from 1st seed last year to 2nd seed this year).

So if Spurs and Pistons can get the first seed respectively, I think Cade and Wemby still have a great chance....Both Cade and Wemby are more or less with the same situation....bottom of the league 2 years ago and now is fighting for top seed in respective conference. I think it all boil down to

- Spurs vs Pistons: The 2 regular season game matchup records
- Their team overall record and
- Quality of Cade's teammates vs Wemby's teammates. Who carried their team more...
- And of course the "popularity" of Cade and Wemby.

This my be Spurs Colored Glasses, but I think one of the biggest things Wemby can do to insert him into the MVP discussion would be to finish with the #1 seed AND do these things:

• Go 4-1 against SGA and OKC (done)
• Go 4-0 against Jokic and DEN (which would be 3-0 for Wemby, since he missed the first game)
• Go 2-0 against Cade and DET (starts tonight)

If the Spurs are the top seed in the west, and Wemby has won the battles against all of the other MVP candidates, it's going to be really hard for a voter to look the other way when they'll also be awarding him the DPOY. When they passed up Kawhi for Steph in 2015-16 in MVP voting (when Kawhi won DPOY), it was easy to turn to Steph leading GSW to 73-9. There is no way you don't award the best player on that team the MVP.

That is also a great demonstration of how defense absolutely plays into the voting conversation, despite whatever some troll on this forum thinks. Kawhi only averaged 21ppg that year but was DPOY and was considered the best two-way player in the league. LeBron had significantly better offensive stats than Kawhi that year, but voters still gave the #2 spot in the MVP race to Nephew.

If Wemby pulls us to the #1 seed and dominates all of those other MVP candidates, the conversation will get very real.

 

[ginobilized]

On the WeMVP topic, if Kawhi was #2 at 21 ppg and a stellar one-on-one defender, I'd think that Wemby at 25 ppg and possessing geometrical anomalies heretofore unseen on a court might carry even more weight. There's no super team, all-time best records this season. Rebounds, blocks and assists will also enter favorably into the Wemby discussion. Whatever the outcome, I think Wemby will get his 1st MVP by '27-'28 at the latest if he keeps playing 65+ games. It's crazy exciting to even be having this conversation today.

 

[BatManu20]

Playing this Kings team right before the Pistons wasn’t ideal tbh.

 

[JBAllDay]

Yeah take Fox out bro